Youth from the Alsace region come together to reflect on how to move forward

Young Catholics from the Alsace region meet at the Church of the Risen Christ in Strasbourg on Nov. 10. (Photo by Elise Descamps)

Despite the great diversity of their views and activities, committed young Catholics from the French Catholic Archdiocese of Strasbourg appear to share a desire for collective action, including the promotion of better links among themselves and the circulation of more information.

Two weeks after the closing of the Synod on Young People that took place in Rome from Oct. 8-28, Archbishop Luc Ravel of Strasbourg and his auxiliary invited young people from the Alsace region to come together to reflect on how to move forward.

These were the most striking conclusions that emerged from listening to the 100 young people aged 16 to 30 who met on Nov. 10 with Archbishop Ravel and his auxiliary.

Nor was it a random group of young people. In fact, many were pillars of the various movements, parishes, music and prayer groups in the diocese.

They included participants from charitable associations, those for awakening the faith, helping prepare confirmation, launching humanitarian action as well as those organizing pilgrimages and Taizé-style prayer.

The participants were responding to an appeal from Archbishop Ravel, who had previously issued a thought-provoking Pastoral Letter on Young People, to reflect on how the archdiocese should respond concretely to the Synod of Bishops assembly on young people.

“In our workshops, we came to appreciate the extent to which things are already happening in our diocese for and with young people,” said one participant.

“We began to realize that we are too bottled up in our own commitments and that we would do better to seek inspiration from one another,” he said. “We need more events such as this one so we can meet.”

“Why not a large-scale youth camp in Alsace next summer?” another participant suggested.

Other proposals included establishing a digital exchange platform, creating social networks for the various pastoral zones and relaunching youth pilgrimages to Mount St. Odile, all highlighted the desire of young people to meet and talk.

Achieve great things together

However, suggestions were not limited to personal enrichment issues.

“We are all or nearly all facing similar problems,” said Angélique, 27, a committee member for the Alsace Youth Choir. “Even though there are few of us here, working together we can achieve things on a greater scale.”

Pleased with the vitality of various Christian music groups, she is now pushing for further development.

“We could join with those groups and work out a common repertoire,” she said. “We would become stronger and find more of a place for ourselves in the parishes.”

Another major concern was how to organize various campaigns.

“In the Sundgau region (in the rural south of Alsace), we feel isolated,” said one young man. “I hope that the synod will help us identify ways to decentralize diocesan initiatives.”

In response, Archbishop Ravel returned serve.

“Are you ready to mobilize yourselves and mobilize those around you?” he asked. “Too often nice ideas fail to progress for lack of people who get involved.”

Participants endorsed this sentiment, calling for cooperation to prepare a diocesan synod next year.

“We need a coordinator and it needs to be one of us,” said Elodie, 17. “Do you agree with us?” she asked Archbishop Ravel, eliciting his approval.

Homilies fail to resonate

Participants also expressed a desire to provoke deeper reflection.

“The homilies that we hear at church are not appropriate for today,” one student said. “My friends are now marrying and what they hear does not resonate with them. Homilies need to be more youth oriented.”

The greatest sources of frustration among the participants emerged on social issues such as marriage, homosexuality, priestly celibacy.

Challenged on several occasions, Archbishop Ravel warned that he did not have a great deal of power to make changes.

“But he is our representative! So it’s up to him to convince others. If not things will never change,” responded several participants, expressing the hope that the implementation of the Synod in the various pastoral zones will not avoid sensitive issues.

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